Mail-bag



D. BLOOM.

MAIL BAG.

(M0del.)

Patented Ju1y8 1, 1883.

N. FEYERS. mmhu n hen Wilmin ton, 11c.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID BLooM, oE SANnwma LINoIs, ASSIGNOB, BY nI Eor Ann MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MOSESJ. S. MARSHALL, OF BOSTON, AND SAMUEL o. LANE, or CAMBRIDGE, MASSAoHUSETTS.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,152, dated July 31, 1883.

Application filed April 14, 1861.

To all whom, 711; may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID BLooM,of Sandwich, in the county of De Kalb, and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, in IO whicli- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a bag provided with my improved mechanism, said bag being closed and locked.

Fig. 2 is a likeview of the sameunlocked and I 5 open. Fig. 3 is a vertical section upon line 00 a: of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the locking end of the strap with the surrounding parts, and shows a modification in the looking mechanism.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts ineach of the figures.

The design of my invention is to furnish in a simple and inexpensive form means whereby mail-bags may be easily and securely closed 2 5 and fastened, and as easily opened; and to this end it consists, principally, in the means employed for locking the .flap in a closed position, substantially as andfor the purposefhe'reinafter specified. It consists, further, in the means employed for actuating the flap-locking mechanism, substantially asand for the purpose hereinafter It consists, further, in the means, employed A for locking the strap employed for operating '45 turned downward and forward, closes said end.

Within the flap B are formed aseries of oblong parallel slots, b, that are preferably arranged with their longest aXes in a vertical line, and are each boundwith. metal for the (ModeL) purposeof insuring strength and durability. 5o Directly beneath each slot, when said flap is .turned downward, is a button, G, which has a head, a, that corresponds in size and shape to and is capable of being passed through said slot. The shank of said button is journaled within the front wall of the bag A, and is capable of partial rotation, so as to cause said heads to occupy a position in line with or at a right angle to said slot.

Each button 0 has secured upon its shank. a bar, D, which, when said button occupies its normal ,position, extends downward and laterally outward, andhas its lower end connected with a strap, E, by means of a Stud,

6, that projects from said strap into a longitudinal slot, d, that is formed in said bar.

The strap E is contained between the front wall of the bag A and a re-enforce strip, A, which is secured upon the latter at its upper end, and is capable of a longitudinal movement only, and when drawn in one direction will cause the buttons 0 to be simultaneously brought into line with their slots 12, so as to permit the flap B to be passed over or removed from engagement with said buttons. at said strap is drawn in the opposite direction, said buttons will be turned into position at a right angle .to said slots, and lock said flap in place, if the same has been closed.

It will be seen that bya-simple pull upon 80 the strap E the operator can release from or look in a closed position the flap B, and that no more time is required for the movement of all of the buttons 0 than would be necessary for the passage of a strap through or its with- 8 5 drawal from one of the many staples ordinarily used upon mail-bags.

Any desired form of fastening may be employed for securing the strap E in longitudinal position after the flap has been locked 0 down; but I prefer that shown in Figsrl and 2, in which the locking end of said strap is carried around the edge of the bag, and is pro ,vided witha staple, e, which passes forward through openings a in the front and back walls 5 of saidbag, and through opening e in said strap and an opening, I), in Saidflap, and projects sufficiently to receive apadlock, F. When When said flap is closed down, said openings at and b coincide, and when said strap is drawn to the limit of its motion in the direction neces sary for locking the bag its said staple E will be in position for entering said opening.

Another form of lock is shown in Fig. 4, in which a metal plate, E, is attached to the strap E, and at the lower edge of said plate is provided a notch, e, which may be engaged by an arm, that extends upward from a lock, G, secured upon or within the front wall of the bag. Said arm 9 may be caused to engage with said notch e by means of a spring, and then released by means of a key; or the latter may be employed for producing both movements.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new 1s a 1. As a means for locking in a closed position the flap of a mail-bag, a series of T-shaped turn-buttons pivoted within the front wall of said mail-bag, and adapted to pass through a corresponding number of narrow slots formed in such flap, in combination with mechanism, substantially as described, whereby said buttons may be simultaneously turned into line with or at right angles to said slot, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As a means for locking the flap of a mailbag, a series of T-shaped turn-buttons pivoted within the front' wall of said mail-bag, and adapted to pass through correspondinglyshaped slots formed in such flap, in combina tion with a strap which is connected with said turn-buttons, and by a longitudinal motion will simultaneously turn the same into line with or at a rightangle to said slots, substantially as and for the purpose" shown.

3. The combination of the bag A, having the flap B and openings a and b, the operatingstrap E, provided with the staple e and opening a, and the lock F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. I11 combination with the bag A, provided with the flap B, slots 1), and openings a and b, the pivoted buttons 0, having the bars D, the

strap E, provided with the' staple e, and the padlock F, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

DAVID BLOOM. \Vitnesses:

R. K. W'ooDwARD, G. H. ROBERTSON. 

